The CLCA East Bay Chapter completed our third annual day of service at the Oakland Zoo. This year we helped Ray Odeh, Horticulture Manager, Oakland Zoo with a beautiful project at the main entrance of the zoo.  Our team of volunteers helped install a new irrigation system for native plants surrounding the entrance sign.

A special thanks to Eric Santos, BrightView for his expertise and dedication to supporting our annual volunteer projects.  Our current president Kristin Gallegos and her husband Rudy helped scope the project and donated plant materials. Cassidy Lundin, Terra Landscapes, current treasurer donated arbor mulch for the new planting area.

Loren McIrvin, Allied Landscape and East Bay Past President, donated the majority of the irrigation materials and Chris McNairy, Hunter Industries donated an irrigation valve for the new drip irrigation system.

It was wonderful to see so many of Board of Director members bring their children to support our volunteer efforts and take part in this beatification project.  Thank you to all of our volunteers who showed up and contributed to this project.

Conserving and storing water remains critical for communities recovering from multi-year drought conditions, preparing against climate change

May 31, 2023
Contact: Edward Ortiz, Information Officer

SACRAMENTO – The State Water Resources Control Board has readopted an emergency regulation that bans using drinking water for watering decorative grass (also referred to as non-functional turf) in commercial, industrial and institutional areas throughout the state.

The State Water Board’s readoption of this regulation signals the real need for Californians to continue using water wisely, and it aligns with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s March 2023 executive order affirming that the multi-year drought continues to have significant, immediate impacts on communities with vulnerable water supplies across California. Although conditions have improved, they have not abated severe drought conditions that remain in some parts of the state, including those with groundwater basins that are depleted.

The regulation bans watering non-functional turf, which generally is mowed grass that is not used for recreational or other community activities, at commercial, industrial and institutional properties. This applies to areas like grass in front of or next to large commercial buildings, and some common areas managed by homeowners’ associations. In addition to not applying to grass used for recreational or other community activities, the ban does not affect or prohibit watering residential lawns or trees. In fact, the state encourages people to keep watering trees because of their many environmental benefits. The ban also does not prohibit using recycled water for irrigating non-functional turf…

Who doesn’t love a bouquet of flowers?  They are used in all of our greatest, saddest, and most impactful times of our life.  Our wedding day is all about flowers.  Every funeral has a substantial showing of flowers to honor the passage between life and death.

How many of us are in the supermarket on Mother’s Day picking up a bouquet for Mom?  And Prom night is about the corsage.  But what about Mother Earth?  Are those flowers just as good for her? After all, she is the only planet we have, and we should honor her on Mother’s Day.

The flower industry has a huge impact on the planet.  First of all, it is estimated to be around a $60 billion dollars a year industry.  Mother’s Day account for around 30% of all flower purchases, second to Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and Hanukkah.  The United States is the biggest consumer of cut flowers and none or very little are grown here. We get our flowers from Columbia and Ecuador. Columbia is, by far, the biggest producer with almost 700 million stems of flowers grown in a year.  Ecuador is second, with Kenya in third.  Kenya flies most of their crop to the European Union. These producers try their best to get these flowers from bloom to vase in 3 days.  Longer than that the value of that flower drops as does the profits.

What is the environmental cost to Mother Earth?  Pesticides, pollutants, and water use are the factors that we need to understand when we talk about environmental damage.  The equity issue is also a huge concern.  It is estimated that to supply the consumers in the US with their much-cherished bouquet, 360,000 plus metric tons of CO2 is dumped into the atmosphere to fly them, truck, them, and refrigerate them so that you can have the perfect bouquet.  That is the equivalent of 80,000 cars driven for a year.  In the producer counties these plants need heated glass houses. They also need more chemicals in the form of pesticides in order to flourish.  Who’s is paying the butcher’s bill for this.  You got it, workers and people living near these flower factories.  Those who work there are exposed to toxins in fertilizers and in the pesticides needed to form the perfect bloom.  Preservatives are added to the water of these cut blooms to keep them “fresh” for mom.  These workers are working well over 16-hour days to produce these blooms.  That workforce is mostly women.  Somewhat ironic when you think about this.  The very women who we chose to honor are actually hurting the women who work to produce these bouquets.  Their children are exposed to the pesticides from the clothing and shoes of these flower workers. Of course, they will hug their kids after a long day at work.  Children living close to these farms show a significant decline in short term brain activity due to the pesticides.

What can be done? You can ask questions.  Are these plants ethically and sustainably produced? Flowers that are certified as Fairtrade are plants that are certified to come from farms that have a strict labor and environmental standards.

The second question is all about money. Follow the money.  If you purchase from a local farmer’s market the plants are grown locally.  If you buy them from the big chain supermarkets, well, they are buying them from producers who do not pay their workers well and the high amount of chemicals is not regulated.  Who doesn’t want to give mom a nice dose of a pesticide on her special day?  Whole Foods is using the Sourced for Good program to ensure that labor abuse and pesticides are at a minimum.

The third question to ask is where do these flowers come from?  You cannot look on a bouquet of flowers and see the country of origin like a can of peas.  So, ask.

What is the alternative? Look for florists that environmentally friendly and support them. Ask your local gardeners for help in putting together a bouquet. Flowers are everywhere and can be sourced with a ten-minute walk. Granted, it may not be the perfect bloom, but do you really think mom cares about that.  I have gotten the best hugs from my mom when I have brought her a bouquet from weeds.  Flowers are flowers and the intent is the true bouquet.